


The Next Adventure

by MusicalFangirl00193



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Found Family, Gen, Hopeful Ending, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Mpreg, kidnapping mention, mentioned miscarriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-07 23:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12242439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MusicalFangirl00193/pseuds/MusicalFangirl00193
Summary: Harley Keener is all but adopted by Tony and Steve after the events of Iron Man 3. When Peter is born, Harley is unsure of his welcome in the Stark-Rogers household, even as he makes his own place in it.





	1. Chapter 1

Harley was the only one with Steve when Peter was born. Tony was at some Stark Industries meeting he couldn’t duck out of, Thor was in Asgard, Clint and Natasha were both on missions, and Bruce hadn’t been in the Tower since Harley had arrived.

Harley had been making some plans on the tablet Tony had given him (he would have been in the lab, but he wasn’t allowed to go alone anymore). Steve had been drawing something in his sketchpad when he sat up with a small grunt.

“Pop?” Harley asked looking over (The boy had had a nightmare one of his very first nights in the Tower, about the EXTREMIS attacks. In a half-asleep daze, he had called out for Tony and Steve as Dad and Pop. The names had stuck). “You okay?”

“I’m fine,” Steve said, sitting back warily. “Don’t worry.”

Harley could tell he was lying, he had never been good at lying to Harley and Tony. So the boy sat back, going back to his plans, keeping half an eye on Steve.

Thirty minutes later, Steve repeated the action and Harley noticed as he curled around his stomach.

“Pop?” Harley asked again as Steve got off the couch and started pacing the room.

“Contractions,” Steve admitted. “Due date’s tomorrow, guess he decided it was time.”

“What do I need to do?” Harley asked, springing up from the couch.

“Call Tony,” Steve said, “Get him here.”

Harley nodded, scrambling for his cell phone and hitting Tony’s speed dial.

“You’ve reached Tony Stark’s personal voicemail,” the recording informed Harley. “If you have this number, that means you’re actually important, congratulations. Leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”

“Steve’s in labor,” Harley blurted out after the beep, which sounded more like a repulsor blast than a beep. “We’re the only ones at the Tower and I don’t know what to do.”

“I will continue trying to contact Sir,” JARVIS informed the boy. “You should see to Captain Rogers.”

“Thanks, JARVIS,” Harley said, following Steve from the room.

* * *

“Steve!” Tony yelled, running from the elevator to his and Steve’s bedroom faster than he thought possible.

“Calm down Tony,” Steve said with a grin when Tony appeared in the doorway.

“I missed it,” Tony said, face falling when he saw the bundle Steve was holding.

“It’s okay,” Steve said, reaching a hand out for Tony. “Come meet your son Tony.”

Tony did, approaching the bed slowly, almost reverently. “Where’s Harley?” he asked after a moment.

“He should be here,” Steve said, looking around, puzzled. “He was here a second ago.”

“JARVIS?” Tony asked the AI.

“Master Harley is in his room. I would recommend you speak with him as soon as possible Sir.”

“Shit,” Tony muttered, “Shit, I was afraid this would happen. I’ll be right back.” He ran out of the room, heading towards Harley’s room.

* * *

“Harley?” Tony called, knocking on the boy’s door. “Can I come in?”

There wasn’t an answer, but the door opened just enough for Tony to enter before closing behind him.

“Thought you and Steve’d be fawning over the baby,” Harley muttered from where he was sitting on the floor across from the door, “Your _son_ ,” he said the last part bitterly.

“You mean your little brother,” Tony said lightly.

Harley looked up at Tony with large, wet eyes. “Really?”

“Of course,” Tony said, sitting next to Harley. “You may not be biologically a Stark, but you are no less my son than Peter is.”

“And Steve?” Harley asked. The fact that he used Steve’s name rather than calling him Pop really told Tony a lot.

“Steve loves you, almost as much as I do,” Tony assured the boy, running his fingers through Harley’s mess of hair. “You should have seen his face the first time you called him Pop.”

“You mean it?” Harley asked quietly, burying his face in Tony’s chest, next to the arc reactor.

“You know I can’t lie to you,” Tony said, “You know why.”

“Because we’re connected?” Harley asked, peeking up at Tony.

“Got it in one,” Tony said, tapping Harley on the nose. “Now come on, I may have scared Steve when I left.”

Harley nodded, reluctantly peeling himself from Tony’s side.

“There’s my boy,” Tony said with a bright grin as he stood up. “Now let’s go.”

* * *

“You okay?” Steve asked, looking up as Tony and Harley came back into the room.

“Better now,” Tony answered for them both while Harley climbed onto the bed to snuggle carefully into Steve’s side and stare at the baby in Steve’s arms.

“Do you want to hold him?” Steve asked, seeing Harley’s intrigued gaze.

“Can I?” Harley asked unsurely. “My mom never let me hold my sister when she was born.”

“I trust you,” Steve said simply, adjusting himself and Harley so that he could pass the baby over.

“What name did you guys decide on?” Harley asked in a hushed voice.

“Peter James Stark-Rogers,” Steve answered, smiling at his two boys with a glance at Tony, who was taking a picture with his phone. “What do you think?” Steve asked. “How’s it feel to be a big brother?”

“I do have a sister back in Rose Hill,” Harley pointed out. “But this feels different,” he smiled. “Good different.”

“That’s good,” Steve said, pressing a kiss to the thirteen-year-old’s forehead.

“I love you, Poppa,” Harley said, falling asleep against Steve’s side.

“You’re gonna tell me what that was about?” Steve asked once Harley was soundly asleep.

“He thought we weren’t going to want him here anymore now that Peter was here,” Tony whispered, sitting on the edge of the bed across from Harley.

“That’s ridiculous,” Steve said, his voice as loud as he dared since he was playing pillow to Harley who was still holding Peter.

“I know that,” Tony said. “What do you say we ask his mom about custody again? If we get Harley on our side…”

“And make him choose between us and his mom? That’s not fair to him, Tony.”

“Like it’s fair to him to have to go back to…that?” Tony asked with vague gestures westward.

“We’ll ask him when he wakes up,” Steve said. “And we’re not going to try and influence him either way.”

“Yes sir,” Tony said with a mock salute and a gentle kiss.


	2. Five Years Later

“Harley!” Peter yelled, running to the older boy.

“Hey Spidey,” Harley said with a grin, scooping the younger up and spinning him around. “What’s up?”

“Kindergarten,” Peter said, making a face. “I don’t like it.”

“You didn’t make any friends?” Harley asked, taking Peter to the couch.

“No,” Peter grumbled, snuggling into Harley.

“Where are Dad and Pop?” Harley asked after a moment.

“Out,” Peter shrugged, “Aunt Pepper’s making dinner.”

“Hey, Aunt Pep!” Harley called into the kitchen.

“I didn’t know you were coming over today,” Pepper said from the doorway between the kitchen and living room.

“I wanted to surprise them,” Harley said, “They out with the Avengers?”

“Yeah,” Pepper said, something off in her voice. “Can you help me with something?”

“Sure,” Harley said, taking Peter off his lap and setting him on the couch. “What’s up?” he asked when they were out of Peter’s earshot.

“I was about to call you,” Pepper said quietly. “The team hasn’t checked in for an hour.”

“Where are they?” Harley asked, fingers tightening around the Iron Man and Captain America charms on the keychain in his pocket.

“The last we heard from them they were in Connecticut,” Pepper said, “Be careful, okay?”

“Yes Aunt Pep,” Harley said, giving her a hug before dashing from the room, going straight to the elevator.

“Harley?” Peter called after him as the elevator doors closed.

“I’ll be back Peter,” Harley promised through the last small gap between the doors.

* * *

“JARVIS?” Harley called out, reaching the workshop level.

“I have a suit ready for you Master Harley,” JARVIS said. “And a flight plan to the Avengers’ last known location.”

“Thanks, J,” Harley said, climbing into the open suit that fit him like it was made for him (probably was, knowing his dad). “Let’s go,” he said once he was suited up.

JARVIS didn’t respond, but a flight plan appeared as a red line in his vision and his thrusters fired on.

Harley pointed himself towards the exit to the sky and shot off.

* * *

“This the place J?” Harley asked, landing carefully and looking around cautiously.

“Yes,” JARVIS responded, voice distracted in a way that told Harley the AI was scanning the area as well. “No signs of human life or unusual heat signatures.”

“Alright,” Harley said, walking towards the path of destruction, apparently a Code Green. “Keep an eye out.”

“Yes Sir,” JARVIS said, capital S so obvious it made Harley cringe.

“Don’t call me that!” he snapped, “That’s Dad’s name. J…”

“We will find them,” JARVIS said, “We will.”

“I hope you’re right J,” Harley muttered, continuing forward.

* * *

“There is a structure ten yards ahead,” JARVIS said after an hour of searching. “There are guards.” JARVIS pulled up a map of the building with red dots where the guards were stationed. “I am working on hacking their security systems so that we can get an eye on the inside.

“Thanks, J,” Harley said, approaching the building and knocking out all visible guards from the tree line. “Door?” he asked JARVIS, firing as more guards came around the building.

JARVIS highlighted the door in the HUD. “I have just broken through the firewalls.”

“And?”

“They are here,” JARVIS said. “You’re not going to like it.”

“Show me,” Harley demanded. The HUD was immediately flooded with images of his fathers that made Harley want to vomit. “Send a message to SHIELD, I may need backup.”

“I already did,” JARVIS said as he directed Harley down to where the Avengers were being held, removing the images from the HUD.

“One step ahead,” Harley said fondly as he reached the first door.

“Agent Romanov is in this room,” JARVIS said, labeling the doors on the hall with the name of the Avenger held in each.

Harley nodded, melting the door handle, pushing it open when it gave. “Aunt Nat? It’s Harley.”

“Your fathers are going to kill you,” Natasha said, rising from her position, sitting cross-legged in the middle of the room.

“If we all survive this,” Harley muttered, leading the way down the hall to free Clint, Bruce, and Thor.

“Where are your fathers young Harley?” Thor asked as Harley led them to find Tony and Steve.

“Down here,” Harley said, descending a flight of stairs. “SHIELD should be on their way.”

“We’ll go meet them,” Natasha said, taking Clint’s arm and going back the way they had come.

“How bad is it?” Bruce asked, “Usually when they separate us, someone is tortured.”

“Not good at all,” Harley told them as they reached the door, “Stand back.”

Thor and Bruce did so as Harley blasted the door open and got out of the suit, leaving it in sentry mode as he ran into the room. “Dad! Pop!”

“Harley?” Tony’s voice was hoarse, “What’re you doing here?”

“Came to rescue you,” Harley said faux cheerfully, working on Tony’s bonds.

“Where’s Steve?” Tony asked, sitting up and rubbing at his wrists.

“I have the captain,” Thor said, voice a low rumble. “We should return to the Tower.”

“Let’s go,” Harley said, helping Tony to his suit before returning to his own, trusting Thor to have Steve. “Clint and Nat are waiting for backup.”

Tony nodded, hovering (literally) over Thor’s shoulder to keep an eye on Steve

“Lead the way, young Harley,” Thor said. “We shall follow you.”

Harley nodded, more to himself than Thor, and led the way out of the building.

* * *

“Harley, where’d you go?” Peter asked, clambering up to sit on Harley’s lap. 

“I went to get Dad and Pop,” Harley informed the little boy, absentmindedly smoothing Peter’s hair back. “They got lost.”

Peter crossed his little arms and all but glared up at Harley. “JARVIS wouldn’t let Daddy get lost, and Daddy wouldn’t let Poppa get lost. So you’re lying.”

“JARVIS wasn’t working where Dad and Pop were. They got hurt.”

Peter looked as if he was about to argue, but he could tell it wasn’t a lie.

“Is Daddy and Poppa gonna be okay?” Peter asked, curling into Harley’s chest.

“I hope so,” Harley said, holding Peter close, knowing better than to lie to him. “But no matter what happens, we’ll have each other.”

“Don’t leave again?” Peter asked, looking up at Harley. 

“No,” Harley promised his little brother. “I’m staying right here.”

* * *

“How’s he doing?” Harley asked, slipping through the door of his parents’ room.

“Stable,” Tony answered, rubbing his eyes tiredly. “No closer to waking up. Where’s Peter?”

“Bed. It’s late Dad.”

“I know,” Tony groaned. “I can’t leave him like this kid.”

“I know,” Harley said, sitting on the floor and leaning against the bed, facing Tony. “That’s why I’m here, to make sure you don’t die of exhaustion.”

Tony gave Harley a dirty look. “Bruce tell you were the sedatives are?”

“Amounts too,” Harley said cheerfully.

“I hate you all,” Tony groaned, burying his face in his hands. 

“What did I do?” Steve asked croakily.

“Steve!” Tony exclaimed instead of an answer, attacking the bedded man with a hug.

“Geeze Tony,” Steve groaned. “Ribs.”

Tony backed off, but he didn’t look sorry. “You okay?”

“I’m fine Tony,” Steve said, fondly exasperated. “Just a bit sore.”

“There was so much blood,” Tony said quietly, “Everywhere, you didn’t have a single cut on your body.”

Steve went pale, hand gravitating to his stomach, a gesture familiar from when he had been pregnant with Peter.

Tony caught the movement, eyes widening as he made the connection. “Were you…?” Tony asked, gesturing futilely. 

“Maybe,” Steve replied. “Even if I was, there’s no way I am anymore.”

Harley peeked up over the side of the bed. “Poppa?” he asked, voice small.

“Hey kiddo,” Steve said with a wet smile. “You been there the whole time?”

“Yeah,” Harley said. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Eventually,” Steve said, wiping tears from his eyes. “We’ll be fine.”

“Love you, Poppa,” Harley said, feeling younger even than he had been when Tony and Steve had adopted him.

“We love you too kid,” Steve said with a fond smile. Harley had achieved his goal, cheering Steve up by reminding him that he wasn’t alone anymore. “What did I miss?”

Harley told him. Not of what they had learned about the Avengers’ failed mission and subsequent capture, but of the last semester at MIT, normal things that ordinary teenagers told their parents when they came home over break.

Steve listened, laughed, and asked questions. For a moment, it was like they were normal.

But normal is boring, here’s to our next adventure.

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: May continue in this verse, may not  
> A/N 2: Yes, JARVIS, not Vision, or FRIDAY, or who the frick ever. JARVIS is my baby and you can tear him from my cold dead hands


End file.
